MUMBAI, India — Coordinated terrorist attacks struck the heart of Mumbai, India’s commercial capital, on Wednesday night, killing dozens in machine-gun and grenade assaults on at least two five-star hotels, the city’s largest train station, a Jewish center, a movie theater and a hospital. Even by the standards of terrorism in India, which has suffered a rising number of attacks this year, the assaults were particularly brazen in scale and execution. The attackers used boats to reach the urban peninsula where they hit, and their targets were sites popular with tourists. The Mumbai police said Thursday that the attacks killed at least 101 people and wounded at least 250. Guests who had escaped the hotels told television stations that the attackers were taking hostages, singling out Americans and Britons. A previously unknown group claimed responsibility, though that claim could not be confirmed. It remained unclear whether there was any link to outside terrorist groups. Gunfire and explosions rang out into the morning. Hours after the assaults began, the landmark Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Hotel, next to the famed waterfront monument the Gateway of India, was in flames. Guests banged on the windows of the upper floors as firefighters worked to rescue them. Fire also raged inside the luxurious Oberoi Hotel, according to the police. A militant hidden in the Oberoi told India TV on Thursday morning that seven attackers were holding hostages there. “We want all mujahedeen held in India released, and only after that we will release the people,” he said. Some guests, including two members of the European Parliament who were visiting as part of a trade delegation, remained in hiding in the hotels, making desperate cell phone calls, some of them to television stations, describing their ordeal (...)

Barack Obama was in Copenhagen yesterday. As the Greenpeace slogan said: "Right city, wrong date." Mr Obama was not in Denmark to save the world from climate change, but to promote Chicago's Olympic bid. His wife, Michelle, and Oprah Winfrey were also there. They were not alone: King Juan Carlos of Spain, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama all pressed the flesh for their cities. Note, not their countries. Yes, Tony and Cherie Blair started the inflationary spiral by going to Singapore to help win the 2012 Olympics for London. But has this ritual got out of hand? Mr Obama

was the first sitting US president to attend the International Olympic Committee's jamboree. Was it appropriate for him to do so?

The next question is whether it was in the interests of Rio, Chicago, Madrid or Tokyo to win the games. The evidence is underwhelming. The games transformed Barcelona and were a success in Sydney, but the list of cities with empty relics and hefty bills is longer: Atlanta, Athens, Montreal and Moscow. The Beijing games were in a category of their own, sending a message that China had joined the modern world. But it locked up dissidents who uttered anything less than the authorised text.

So, whether or not Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid should have reacted the way they did when they heard they had lost the bid to host the 2016 summer games is not clear. Rio de Janeiro will now, in the words of its slogan, live its passion. The games will go to South America for the first time. It may be a while before they want them back.

e) O desenvolvimento do esporte em todos os níveis.
Atividade 3UNIPAM 2009Read the questions from 01 to 07 and choose the most appropriate alternative according to the text.PrejudiceThe word prejudice refers to prejudgment: making a decision before becoming aware of the relevant facts of a case or event. The word has commonly been used in certain restricted contexts, in the expression 'racial prejudice'. Initially this is referred to making a judgment about a person based on their race, religion, class, etc., before receiving information relevant to the particular issue on which a judgment was being made; it came, however, to be widely used to refer to any hostile attitude towards people based on their race or even by just judging someone without even knowing them. Subsequently the word has come to be widely so interpreted in this way in contexts other than those relating to race.

The meaning now is frequently "any unreasonable attitude that is unusually resistant to rational influence". Race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, and religion have a history of inciting prejudicial behavior.

Forms of prejudice
Frank J. Farley classified prejudice into three categories. Cognitive Prejudice refers to what people believe is true. An example of cognitive prejudice might be found, for example, adherence to a particular metaphysical or methodological philosophy to the exclusion of other philosophies that may offer a more complete theoretical explanation. Affective Prejudice refers to what people like and dislike. An example of affective prejudice might be found, for example, in attitudes toward members of particular classes such as race, ethnicity, national origin, or creed. Conative Prejudice refers to how people are inclined to behave. Conative prejudice is regarded as an attitude because people don't act on their feelings. An example of conative prejudice might be found in expressions of what should be done if the opportunity presented itself. These three types of prejudice are correlated, but all need not be present in a particular individual. Someone might believe a particular group possesses low levels of intelligence, but harbour no ill feelings toward that group. A group might be disliked because of intense competition for jobs, but still recognize no differences between groups.

‘Discrimination' is a behavior (an action), with reference to unequal treatment of people because they are members of a particular group. Farley also classified discrimination into three categories. Personal / Individual Discrimination is directed toward a specific individual and refers to any act that leads to unequal treatment because of the individual's real or perceived group membership. Legal Discrimination refers to "unequal treatment, on the grounds of group membership, that is upheld by law." Apartheid is an example of legal discrimination, as are also various post-Civil war laws in the southern United States that legally disadvantaged negroes with respect to property rights, employment rights and the exercise of constitutional rights.

Institutional Discrimination refers to unequal treatment that is entrenched in basic social institutions resulting in advantaging one group over another. The Indian caste system is an historical example of institutional discrimination. As with prejudice generally, these three types of discrimination are correlated and may be found to varying degrees in individuals and society at large. Many forms of discrimination based upon prejudice are outwardly acceptable in most societies. (This text was taken and adapted from wikipedia- available in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prejudice)
01 The text gives a definition of prejudice. The only sentence that is according to the text is …

Prejudice is a judgment you make about a person only based on her race.

Prejudice is a judgment you make about a person you know really well.

Prejudice is a reasonable attitude that is usually resistant to irrational influence.

Prejudice is a decision one person makes before knowing the veracity or relevance of the facts.

02 The text classifies prejudice in three categories. All the sentences below are true according to these categories, EXCEPT:

Cognitive prejudice has to do with the people’s beliefs.

Conative prejudice is related to people’s behavior.

The three types of prejudice are never correlated and appear in the same individuals.

Affective prejudice is related to people’s likes and dislikes.

03 Discrimination was presented in the text as “an unequal treatment of people because they are members of a particular group.” (3rd paragraph ). The only sentence that is related to the information given about discrimination is …

Legal discrimination refers to unequal treatment related to group membership that is supported by law.

The post-Civil war laws can be considered examples of institutional discrimination.

Apartheid is an example of legal discrimination as well as the Indian caste system.

Personal discrimination refers to the kind of treatment that gives advantage to one group over another.

The excerpt you are going to read is part of Martin Luther King’s speech. Answer the questions 04, 05 and 06 according to the lines below.I have a dream“(…) We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of NOW.

This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children (…)

(…) I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

(…) I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will now be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

(This text was taken and adapted from the website http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm )

04 In Martin Luther King’s speech he showed the American nation his wishes. The only sentence below that is not according to his ideas is…

He dreamed of a country which valorized the character of the people.

He dreamed of a country whose people did not worry about the color of the skin.

He dreamed of a democratic country.

He dreamed of god’s justice and especially about the skin color of the people.

05 Martin’s speech says that he has a dream. Based on the author’s words, the only lyrics that have similar ideals to Martin’s is…

(Song: Dreams for plans by Shakira- taken from the website http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/shakira/dreamsforplans.html)

D)

Take a look around don't you see it?

See that you are the only real face in the room

No one here has a clue what you're feeling

Don't feel bad keep your sadness alive

Look at all these happy people

Living their lives

Look at all these plastic people

There’s nothing inside

Look at all these shallow people

Telling their lies

Look at all these empty people, people

(Song: Misery- Good Charlotte- taken from the website- http://letras.terra.com.br/good-charlotte/813073/ )

06 In “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of …” and “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation …” the modal verb express

regret

promise

prediction

ability

We can see prejudice related to sexual orientation, skin color and gender. The joke below can be an example of one kind of prejudice. Read the joke and do what is asked in question 07.Magistrate: 'But if you saw the lady driving towards you, why didn't you give her half the road?'

Motorist: 'I was going to, Your Honour, as soon as I could find out which half she wanted.'

(taken from the website- http://thejokes.co.uk/jokes-about-women-drivers.php)
07 “ I was going to, Your Honour, as soon as I could find out which half she wanted.”
All the sentences below do not agree with the man’s saying, EXCEPT:

The man with his line expressed the prejudice against women driving cars.

The man wanted to prove that the only place women can be is at home.

The man wanted to show the magistrate that he knew the woman was drunk.

The man wanted to tell the magistrate how he respected the woman.

Atividade 4UNIPAM 2009/02Read the questions from 01 to 05 and choose the most appropriate alternative according to the text.Can Reading Help Kids Lose Weight?By Alice Park Saturday, Oct. 04, 2008
1 When doctors urge overweight kids to pick up more activities, reading probably isn't what they have in mind. Yet a new study by obesity researchers at Duke University finds that the simple act of reading — depending on the choice of material — can spur weight loss in teen-age girls.

2 The study's experimental group included 31 obese girls aged 9 to 13, who were enrolled in the Healthy Lifestyles Program at Duke Children's Hospital, a comprehensive family-centered weight loss plan that addresses patients' medical, dietary and behavioral needs. The girls read a novel called Lake Rescue, whose protagonist is an overweight preteen who struggles with low self-esteem, feelings of isolation and teasing because of her size. A group of 33 girls read a different book called Charlotte in Paris, which did not have an overweight heroine, and another group of 17 girls read neither book.

3 At the end of the six-month intervention, all the girls who read books had lost weight, but the girls who read Lake Rescue lost more. They lowered their body mass index (BMI), a ratio of weight and height used to measure obesity, by .71, compared with .33 in the Charlotte group an average.05 increase among the nonreaders.

4 The idea behind the study, says Dr. Sarah Armstrong, a pediatrician and director of Healthy Lifestyles, was to find a way to motivate the girls without adopting the restrictive and often authoritative voice of so many other nutrition and diet programs. Lake Rescue was the perfect instrument, says Armstrong; it presents a likable character to whom the girls could relate and whom they could emulate. As the book progresses, its heroine learns to make healthier lifestyle choices and finds a mentor to help keep her on track, Armstrong says: "She learns that she can become healthier, and the self-efficacy part, the 'I can do it' feeling resonates with the preteen girls."

5 "There was some effect of the book in augmenting what we were doing in the clinic," she says. "And not only did it have a small but significant effect on BMI, but it also had a positive effect on the girls' self-esteem."

6 Although the amount of weight lost was small, researchers say its effect is important and cumulative. Healthy nine-to-13-year-old girls typically have a BMI between 16 and 19; the BMI of the girls in the study group was on average between 27 and 28. "If you start with a preteen with a BMI of 27, and if she continues to increase her BMI at her current rate, in six months she would probably be at 28," says Armstrong. "But instead of going from 27 to 28, she now goes from 27 to 26.3, which would put her in the normal BMI range by time she is 13. [Otherwise], she would have a BMI of over 30 by the time she is 13, which would be obese even by adult standards."

7 The weight-loss options for obese pre-adolescents are slim. The two most effective obesity medications on the market, (Orlistat and Meridia) are not approved for children under age 15, and 21 surgical treatments such as gastric bypass are often too risky for kids. That leaves lifestyle- and behavior-modification programs, combined with counseling, which can be effective but unpredictable. But Armstrong's study suggests that there may be unconventional and useful ways, like reading, to teach weight-loss techniques that researchers may not have considered.

8 And that may be the study's most significant finding, says Dr. Sandra Hassink, director of the Weight Management Clinic at A.I. Dupont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del., and leader of the Obesity Leadership Group at the American Academy of Pediatrics. What's more, instituting a technique such as reading to promote weight loss would be fairly easy. Already, the Reach Out and Read Program, a nationwide non-profit literacy effort begun by pediatricians at the Boston Medical Center in 1989, encourages reading by providing books to preschool children each time they visit the doctor's office. Why not piggyback messages about healthy lifestyle habits on this existing reading framework? "This study makes me wonder if we could do that with older kids as well," says Hassink. "We are already thinking at our hospital about mixing in positive lifestyle books with what the kids read." It's a win-win situation, note Armstrong and Hassink. After all, there are few negative side effects to encouraging kids to read.

(This text was taken from time magazine- available in http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1847340,00.html )

01 The text is about …

a new book in the market showing a new food diet.

a new medical treatment for children that uses books to help them lose weight.

a new medical treatment that uses pets to help children lose weight.

a new diet book that helps people with diabetes and eating disorders.

02 All the sentences below are related to the information that can be found in the

text, EXCEPT:

Some patients in the program read a book whose character has some characteristics similar to the girls of the treatment.

The Drs. don’t want to adopt a restrictive diet and some nutrition programs that are available.

Pre-adolescents have as an option to lose weight a lot of drugs and the gastric surgery recommended to everybody.

The teenagers who are overweight don’t have too many options for their treatment to lose weight.

03 According to the results of the study, it is possible to say that…

The girls lost a considerable amount of weight and the doctors think that they will be very slim in the future.

The doctors observed that the girls didn’t lose a lot of weight but if they continued the treatment their BMI would decrease.

The researchers considered the process a waist of time and preferred to use some medication instead.

The results showed that the BMI of the girls who were being researched decreased from 19 to 16.

04 In the fourth paragraph (fourth line) the sentence “(…) it presents a likable character to whom the girls could relate and whom they could emulate.” the underlined pronouns refer respectively to

the book and the doctors.

the treatment and the doctors.

the girls and the doctors.

the book Lake Rescue and the girls.

05 The text mentions a book used by the doctors to help the children with their

treatment. The only synopsis that can be related to the book Lake Rescue is …
A) It's the seventh grade "outdoor education trip" to ….! Adventure girl Charlotte's excited; city girls Katani and Isabel are not so sure. Of course, outdoor sports are right up Avery's alley, but bugs, snakes, and bears are so not up Maeve's. But no self-respecting BSG wants to miss out on adventures, and the week at … has more than its share: rock climbing, an unfortunate canoeing incident for a Queen of Mean, a hike that turns dangerous -- and the chance for one classmate to discover strengths she didn't know she had.

(http://www.ecampus.com/bk_detail.asp?isbn=9781416964315)

B) …, more than any of the four previous novels in the series is a coming-of-age story. The boy faces the thorny transition into adulthood, when adult heroes are revealed to be fallible, and matters that seemed black-and-white suddenly come out in shades of gray. Gone is the wide-eyed innocent, the whiz kid of Sorcerer's Stone. Here we have an adolescent who's sometimes sullen, often confused (especially about girls), and always self-questioning. Confronting death again, as well as a startling prophecy, he ends his year at their school exhausted and pensive. Readers, on the other hand, will be energized as they enter yet again the long waiting period for the next title in the marvelous, magical series. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter (http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Order-

C) A childless couple who wanted a child lived next to a walled garden which belonged to an enchantress. The wife, as a result of her long-awaited pregnancy, noticed some …plant (or, in some versions, of the story, radishes or lamb's lettuce), planted in the garden and longed for it to the point of death. For two nights, the husband went out and broke into the garden to gather some for her; on the third night, as he was scaling the wall to return home, the enchantress, whose name is said to be "Dame Gothel", caught him and accused him of theft. He begged for mercy, and the old woman agreed to be lenient, on condition that the then-unborn child be surrendered to her at birth. Desperate, the man agreed. When a girl was born, the enchantress took her and raised her as a ward, naming her … . When … reached her twelfth year, the enchantress shut her away into a tower in the middle of the woods, with neither stairs nor door, and only one room and one window. When the witch went to visit …, she stood beneath the tower and called out: …, …, let down your hair, so that I may climb the golden stair.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ )

D) Charles Dickens’ beloved Christmas story is a perennial favorite, and now it comes alive in Robert Ingpen’s masterfully illustrated version. Re-creating the look and atmosphere of nineteenthcentury London, Mr. Ingpen, winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Medal, produces some of the finest art of his career, and gives us an edition that is at once classic and timeless. Also included is a bonus Dickens story, “The Christmas Tree.” Here is a sumptuously designed book that will make the perfect Christmas gift. (http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Carol-Charles-

Atividade 5UNICISAL 2009Para responder às questões de números 01 a 06, leia o texto.European investors rediscover BrazilThe EU leads direct investments in the country and accounts for 22.6% of exports
Political and economic stability, the best financial situation in over three decades, recent discoveries of huge oil reserves in the pre-salt oceanic layer, the 2014 FIFA World Cup and last but not least, the 2016 Olympics. The worst economic crisis since the 1929 Stock Market Crash is still lingering in many countries, but around here, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has resumed growth, unemployment has fallen (and rapidly) – civil construction alone generated 45,000 jobs – the country became a creditor to the International Monetary Fund (providing US$ 10 billion) and domestic consumption has been growing persistently for seven years. Brazil is finally a hotspot for foreign direct investments and a safe haven for capital seeking financial solidity.

This veritable rediscovery of Brazil was motivated by the prospects of good trade opportunities. The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which had been setting new records in the two pre-crisis years (US$ 45 billion in 2008), also promises new advances. The European Union tops the list of countries keen

on taking advantage of the opportunities emerging in the first half of 2010. Even in this year of crisis, the EU was the leading direct investor in Brazil and the largest destination of its exports (absorbing 22.6%) from January to August.

04 The expression last but not least in – Political and economical stability, the best financial situation in over three decades, recent discoveries of huge oil reserves in the pre-salt oceanic layer, the 2014 FIFA World Cup and last but not least, the 2016 Olympics. – implies

exclusion.

contrast.

review.

emphasis.

concession.

05 Mark the alternative in which the sentence – This veritable rediscovery of Brazil was motivated by the prospects of good trade opportunities. – is correctly rewritten in the active voice.

The prospects of good trade opportunities are motivating this veritable rediscovery of Brazil.

The prospects of good trade opportunities motivated this veritable rediscovery of Brazil.

The prospects of good trade opportunities are being motivated the rediscovery of Brazil.

The prospects of good trade opportunities motivates this veritable rediscovery of Brazil.

The prospects of good trade opportunities have motivated this veritable rediscovery of Brazil.

06 The terms the first half in – The European Union tops the list of countries keen on taking advantage of the opportunities emerging in the first half of 2010. – correspond to

In Afghanistan a widow, or any single woman, is considered a family liability – and in this war-torn country, there are many of them. To earn their keep, women often end up doing menial chores from dawn till dusk. New York-based make-up artist Matin Maulizawada, who was born in Afghanistan, started the Afghan Hands Profect to give such women a fighting chance. Afghan Hands provides education and skills training at centers in Kabul and Jalalabad. Some 200 women come to study – everything from reading and writing to how to understand a contract – and to work, doing stunningly detailed embroidery and sewing, which brings them an income. But Afghan Hands’ long-term goal is to help women move on from handicrafts to something that will truly sustain them – to school or work that allows them to thrive.

(Newsweek, October, 26 2009)

01 The purpose of the Afghan Hands Project is

to prepare vulnerable women to make their own living.

to provide conditions for the most vulnerable women to leave the country.

to raise women’s income through Afghanistan’s human rights.

to rebuild war-torn Afghanistan by increasing American support.

to integrate women and their families in order to avoid prejudice.

02 The term liability in – In Afghanistan a widow, or any single woman, is considered a family liability – means

gains.

skill.

acceptance.

burden.

joy.

03 The expression from dawn to dusk in – To earn their keep, women often end up doing menial chores from dawn till dusk. – highlights labor

flexibility.

location.

excess.

benefits.

laws.

04 The Afghan Hands Project was

an Afghan artist’s initiative.

supported by the Afghan government.

based on similar programs in New York.

conceived in Kabul and Jalalabad.

an American celebrity’s commitment.

A questão de número 05 refere-se ao texto da campanha.

City Stories
There's a city attached to the memory of every song l've ever written or performed.

Taking the stage at the Olympia in Paris – where Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder and James Brown once played – was a moment I'll never forget. But all of the cities l've been to, collectively, have had a big impact on me. For more city stories, downloads and special offers, visit bananarepublic.com/citystories AYO SINGER & SONGWRITER

(Vogue Magazine, March 2009)

05 De acordo com o texto, Ayo

assistiu à apresentação de seus ídolos.

apresentou-se no Olympia em Paris.

fez um show com seus cantores favoritos.

criou uma canção para homenagear Paris.

compôs músicas para intérpretes famosos.

Leia o texto para responder às questões de números 06 a 09.

Threatened tribesMovie star Julie Christie and NGO Survival International, both from England, have just launched a campaign to save from extinction tribes that do not have contact with civilization. The central part is a documentary narrated by her, on some of the most ancient and threatened tribes of the world. “Over 100 tribes in the world keep refusing any contact. They are among the most vulnerable people on Earth and can be devastated in the next 20 years, unless their rights to land are recognized and defended”, declared Julie to Survival. “The world is certainly big enough for everyone, including those whose lifestyle is different from ours.”

According to Survival, there are tribes in Brazil today with only two or three survivors. The other members died in the hands of cattle raisers or due to diseases transmitted by white people.

07 No trecho – They are among the most vulnerable people on Earth and can be devastated in the next 20 years, unless their rights to land are recognized and defended”, declared Julie to Survival. – o termo their refere-se a

Movie star Julie Christie and NGO Survival International, both from England, have just launched a campaign…

“The world is certainly big enough for everyone, including those whose lifestyle is different from ours.”

They are among the most vulnerable people in Earth and can be devastated in the next 20 years…

The central part is a documentary narrated by her, on some of the most ancient and threatened tribes of the world.

unless their rights to land are recognized and defended”, declared Julie to Survival.

09 O termo over em – Over 100 tribes in the world keep refusing any contact. – significa

até.

aproximadamente.

a respeito de.

sobre.

mais de.

Para responder às questões de números 10 e 11, leia o texto.

Cardamom – Health BenefitsDiscover the Health Benefits of Including Spices in your DietCardamom – A member of the ginger family, cardamom is an ancient spice, native to India. It is used worldwide in desserts, vegetables, curries and pilaf rice dishes. These aromatic seeds contain an oil that helps to stimulate digestion and relieve flatulence. To help relieve indigestion, mix a handful of crushed seeds in a half cup of water with some ginger root.

11 The term that in – These aromatic seeds contain an oil that helps to stimulate digestion and relieve flatulence. – can becorrectly replaced by

whose.

whom.

who.

which.

where.

Atividade 7UECE 2010

One reason growth forecasts for rich nations are so grim is the common assumption that birth rates are falling. Fewer people will produce less income, and shrinking economies.

Only the assumption of aging populations may be wrong, according to a recent report by Goldman Sachs that looks at key demographic trends for the 21st century.

Since bottoming out in 2001, fertility rates in a number of developed economies have actually been on the rise. Among rich economies, the jump is most pronounced in places like the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and the U.S.

Larger immigrant populations in these nations have something to do with this, as they tend to have more children. Yet the effect is only short term, as migrants adopt the fertility rates of their new homes within a generation or so.

Goldman’s new analysis shows that another reason for the unexpected jump, and one that will play a bigger role in the future, is that women in rich countries have been having children later and later in life, something that traditional economic models don’t account for.

Standard estimates of fertility are still tabulated assuming that most women are having children in their early 20s, rather than late 20s or even 30s and 40s, as has become more common in rich countries with lots of women in the workforce. “In parts of Europe (this method of calculation) has probably understated true fertility by about 15 to 20 percent,” notes Goldman Sachs economist Peter Berezin.

Those are big numbers, with potentially very significant ramifications. For starters, it could be that some of the problems faced by aging nations with shrinking tax bases (like, for example, overblown health-care spending, crumbling infrastructure, and budget shortfalls) may not be quite as bad as once envisioned. In fact, there is some evidence to suggest that we may soon start seeing mini baby booms, which, in 20 years or so, could have a significant impact on the size of rich nations’ workforces, a shift that can’t come too soon for countries now struggling with unprecedented levels of national debt. Another bright spot – recent surveys by Eurobarometer show that European women between the ages of 25 and 39 want to have more children, if only it were easier to find a better work-life balance. Note to European leaders: stop worrying about the effects of immigration and start creating better-paid part-time work.

Newsweek, September 28, 2009

01 The text refers to a report about demographic trends which shows that

fertility rates have fallen dramatically since the beginning of the 21st century

while birth rates have risen in the U.S., they have fallen in the U.K

birth rates have risen in wealthy countries since reaching the lowest point in the beginning of the 21st century

countries like the U.K., the U.S., France, and Spain are among those with the lowest birth rates in recent years workplace

02 One of the factors that have led to the surprising increase in birth rates in wealthy nations is the fact that

03 In European countries women in the age group ranging from late 20’s to late 30’s, are

willing to have more babies if they can reach a work-life equilibrium

too busy to think about having children

leaving their jobs to become full time mothers

the main workforce of these nations

04 Among the problems in aging nations, the text mentions

an increase in illiteracy rates among women

sudden shrinking of both budget and spending

spending on health-care for illegal immigrants

imbalance between the budget and the huge amount of money spent on health-care

05 A sudden surge of births within the next few years could bring forth

a significant increase of the workforce in approximately two decades

a decrease in health-care investments

a sudden crumbling of the infrastructure

a shrinking of the budget

06 A piece of advice suggested in the text is that

people in developed countries should adopt children from poor countries

more money should be invested in nuclear plants

more part-time jobs with better salaries should be created in Europe

women should not give birth in their 40s

Atividade 8UFV 2010The Benefits of a New Space Race
In October 2003 China became only the third nation to launch a human into space aboard its own rocket. Colonel Yang Liwei, China’s first taikonaut, orbited the Earth for barely a day before returning, slightly shaken, to a landing in Mongolia. It was a significant technical achievement for a country that has been struggling to modernize its economy and its technology, and the Chinese government trumpeted it to its people and the world. Although Yang’s flight received considerable attention around the globe, what was almost ignored is the fact that after his feet were firmly on the ground, the orbital module from his Shenzhou 5 spacecraft continued to circle the earth, carrying several military payloads. The module is apparently equipped both with a reconnaissance camera capable of spotting objects on the ground about a yard long, and an array of antennas for intercepting radar and other signals from hundreds of miles away. Despite this, Shenzhou is not something the United States should be concerned about, but should actually encourage.

China is pursuing a human space program for three primary reasons: international prestige, domestic pacification, and industrial policy. A human space program enhances China’s status as a major power, at least within the Pacific region. It also feeds nationalist hunger among the populace, making them proud of the achievements of their country even while they realize that they live under an authoritarian and corrupt government—bread and circuses for the masses. Finally, a Chinese “white paper” about space makes clear that the Chinese anticipate numerous technological developments to flow from their space program. Building a space capability requires improvements in manufacturing, computers and materials that the Chinese hope to use in other areas of their economy. Because China is a rival to the United States, it is not in American interests to see them gain international prestige, pacify an oppressed population, or improve their technology.

But now that China has entered the human spaceflight arena, and President Bush has proposed a new exploration plan, America’s best move might be to engage the Chinese in future cooperation in human spaceflight, such as dangling the possibility of sending future missions to the International Space Station, and possibly even future competition in this realm as well. For several years the Western science press has been filled with articles about China’s space ambitions. Reporters have claimed that China has bold plans for a large human spaceflight program, including everything from space stations to Moon landings. Many of these reports, however, have generated bad translations of articles originally published in Chinese, or handwaved away the laws of physics. China’s space ambitions are in reality much less dramatic and the requirements to achieve some of these goals much higher than the press has implied. Although most of these stories are false, it would be in America’s best interest if they are true, and a shrewd strategy to encourage China’s peaceful exploration of space, with humans, is called for.

Human spaceflight is enormously expensive, even in places where labor is cheap. Despite the slow and deliberate pace of the Chinese human spaceflight program so far, it is clear that China has spent a considerable amount of money to acquire this new capability—nearly $2 billion. In addition to developing a spacecraft and launching four previous unmanned missions, China has also built a new rocket, a new launch pad, and a large assembly building for integrating all of the equipment, as well as various other support facilities, such as a tracking station in Namibia and several tracking ships. Recovery forces such as helicopters and aircraft

cost additional money. China may also demonstrate the value of spaceflight at diverting domestic attention from government oppression and corruption. But the Chinese government is going to do this anyway with other events, such as the 2008 Olympics.

As for China’s industrial policy, the United States long ago learned that the spin-off argument is a weak one; although developing spacecraft does produce some useful technologies, it is generally inefficient. If you want a faster computer chip, then develop one; there is no need to go to the Moon to do so. The only demonstrated payoff of human spaceflight is prestige.

(Dwayne A. Day. Available in http://www.thespacereview.com/article/137/1. Retrieved on July 23, 2009. Adapted.)

Answer the following questions according to the text:01 It is CORRECT to say that Colonel Yang Liwei:
a) observed the Earth from the outside of his spaceship.

b) landed in Mongolia in less than a day spaceflight.

c) left Earth from the spaceship base in Mongolia.

d) landed in the moon soil after a day flight.

02 It is NOT a reason for the Chinese to engage in the space race activity:
a) to pacify domestic opponents.

b) to enhance industrial policy.

c) to strengthen international prestige.

d) to establish harmony among nations.

03 It is CORRECT to say that the Shenzhou’s orbital module:
a) has continued its mission in space.

b) returned to Earth for repair procedures.

c) returned to Earth for future missions.

d) has fallen apart in programmed pieces.

04 The expression “bread and circuses for the masses” (line 13) is used in the text because:
a) Chinese acrobats have been famous since ancient times.

b) Chinese agriculture system has topped the Pacific region.

c) Chinese governors want to divert people’s attention.

d) Chinese people are famous for their bread.

05 The sentence “[…] the Chinese government trumpeted it to its people […]” (lines 3-4) is equivalent to:
a) the news was largely spread in the media.

07 “Despite this, Shenzhou is not something the United States should be concerned about, but should actually encourage.” (lines 8-9). The underlined words can be respectively substituted by:

a) Because of / at the present time.

b) Due to / currently.

c) No matter / presently.

d) In spite of / really.

08 The word “But” (line 33) can be replaced by:

a) Thus.

b) In addition to.

c) However.

d) So.
09 The passive structure “[…] the Western science press has been filled with articles […]” (line 21) can be rewritten in the active voice as:
a) Articles are being filled by the Western science press.

Visiting Brazil is my first experience of being in a BRIC country. I have never been to Russia, India or China, the other three countries that make up the BRIC acronym, so I was intrigued to see what an economic success story looks like.

My first port of call is Rio de Janeiro, possibly the most beautiful city I have ever visited but also in some respects the most disconcerting. As a tourist you are warned to be not just careful but weary, making you constantly aware of potential danger, and consequently it is hard to feel entirely relaxed. As a human being it is hard not to feel distressed at the sight of the sprawling Favelas where hundreds of thousands live in enduring misery. I was shocked to see that there are now Favela Tours on the tourist trail. I find the idea that the Favelas have now become a tourist attraction somewhat obscene. And though the middle class is growing fast, one in four remains below the poverty line. All the stereotypes are quickly confirmed. First, of course, there is the beach culture with the women wearing the tiniest bikinis I have seen. Then there is the national passion for football. In Rio, I saw them play on the beach, in the street, in parks, anywhere they could kick a ball. In Brasilia I noticed how the villas of the rich often have their own football fields. Then there is the samba and the capacity to party. Brazilians are a fun-loving people. It is just as you expect it to be.

What you don’t expect are the prices. The days when Brazil was a cheap place to visit are long gone. A cup of coffee in Rio is as expensive as New York or Paris. Entrance prices to the main tourist attractions are priced in the same range as tourist attractions in London.

The Brazilian economy is thriving. It was one of the last countries to be hit by the financial crisis and has been one of the first to emerge from recession. However, poverty and income inequality remain serious problems in Brazil, with the crime and security issues that naturally follow.

b) Although economy is growing, what are the challenges Brazil has to overcome?

Atividade 10UFTM 2009 – 2 fase Para as questões de números 01 a 04, responda às perguntas de acordo com o texto.
Ever since Jung Chang’s 1991 book, “Wild Swans”, became an international bestseller, writers about China have understood that it is people’s personal stories that bring to life the difficult history of this country. “China Witness” is a new addition to the genre.

The author, Xinran Xue, who uses the name Xinran as a nom de plume, is an old hand. From 1988 to 1997 she was one of the country’s most popular broadcasters. In a state-run medium dominated by propaganda, she invited women to pick up the telephone and tell their life stories on air. A deluge of personal revelation followed, and the programme earned a huge following. In 1997 Xinran moved to England, where she met and later married Jung Chang’s then literary agent. He encouraged her to write “The Good Women of China”, a collection of stories, based on those radio confessions, that revealed the raw misery of the lives of many women, especially in the countryside.

In “China Witness”, which was published in Britain last October and is just coming out in America, Xinran turns to the people she terms the “grandparents” of China. She is afraid of what will be lost when those who have lived through China’s modern history inevitably grow old and die. The younger generation knows very little about their elders’ experience, in particular about what they

b) No trecho do segundo parágrafo – ... a state-run medium ... –, state-run significa em português:
02 Answer the following in English according to the passage.
a) What did Xinran as a broadcaster ask women to do?

When Hillary Clinton opened her Washington townhouse for a political fundraiser last fall, the highlight for a select few came after the movers and shakers wrote their checks and left.

Despite her fame and power, Clinton keeps in regular touch with the circle of close high school girlfriends she made growing up in Park Ridge back when the Beatles were a new act.

Led by the junior senator from New York and soon-to-be presidential candidate, the Maine South alumnae adjourned to the kitchen, raided the fridge, gushed over a friend’s jewelry and mugged in yoga poses. All that was missing were the hair curlers and the stack of 45 r.p.m.hits.

“We just kicked our shoes off, and Hillary was just one of the girls,” said Betsy Ebeling, who has known Clinton since the 6th grade.

If Clinton has a problem as she seeks the Democratic presidential nod – and problem is a relative term for a tightly disciplined campaign powered by a fiercely loyal political army – it’s that many voters consider her nothing like the down-to-earth woman in that kitchen scene.

A Clinton campaign mantra is that she is the most famous but least known candidate in the presidential race, an odd conceit given that hers is one of the best known faces in the world. Perhaps no one in American public life has had her life subjected to such intense and personal examination – the dozens of books, the many investigations, the tabloid obsessions. Her hairdos, her cleavage, even her laugh have been picked apart for hidden meaning. Few names are as likely to start an argument. Her qualities are also enmeshed in the profound question that her presidential candidacy presents: whether America is ready for a woman as commander in chief.

“When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.” So runs Arthur C. Clarke’s first law of prediction. Michio Kaku’s latest book “Physics of the Impossible”, aims to explain exactly why some visions of the future may eventually be realised while others are likely to remain beyond the bounds of possibility. It concludes that there is little in science fiction that could not, in principle, be realised.

Recent scientific progress means that ever more imaginative scenarios have begun to look feasible. A sensor that has been implanted in the brains of paraplegics and which enables its recipients to move a wheelchair constitutes a limited form of telekinesis. Physicists have achieved a form of teleportation by using a property from the weird world of quantum physics to transport the information contained in a gas of caesium atoms, destroying the original and creating a copy on the other side of the laboratory. Even invisibility now looks almost possible using a new type of material that can direct light to flow around an object as though it were not there. Almost nothing, it seems, is impossible.

Fuel storage tanks are seen at Mobil Oil's oil refinery in Melbourne March 8, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Mick Tsikas

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices tumbled on Thursday as the dollar strengthened on renewed Euro zone credit worries, though fears remained that prolonged conflict in Libya could do long-lasting damage its oil infrastructure.

Data showing that China, the world's second largest oil importer, unexpectedly posted the largest trade deficit in seven years also weighed on oil prices, analysts said.

U.S. crude for April delivery fell faster than its counterpart Brent crude, falling $2.96 to $101.42 a barrel.

Data showing new U.S. jobless claims rose last week and the country's trade deficit widened in January sparked economic growth worries and weighed on U.S. crude.

U.S. crude's losses extended from Wednesday, when data showed crude inventories rose well more than expected last week, with stocks at the key Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub hitting a record.

In London, April Brent crude dropped $1.75 to $114.19 a barrel.

Brent's premium against U.S. crude again shot up, rising to more than $13, after posting above $11 on Wednesday. The premium hit a record above $17 last week.

Investors watch the changing fortunes of both contracts as they trade heavily on the spread between them.

CHINA DATA SPURS GROWTH WORRIES
China suffered a $7.3 billion trade deficit in February as the Lunar New Year holiday slowed exports and spurred anxieties about global economic growth, though economists said the sudden drop was likely to be temporary.

But China's crude oil imports rose to the third highest level on record on a daily basis as refiners ramped up operations despite a lull in demand lull during the holidays.

In Libya, state television said government forces had cleared Ras Lanuf of "armed gangs," a reference to rebels, but rebel soldiers denied the eastern oil town had fallen to Muammar Gaddafi's troops.

"The large explosions and enormous columns of smoke from storage tanks and other facilities in Ras Lanuf, close to the Es Sider terminal, are perhaps more than merely symbolic," Barclays Capital oil analysts headed by Paul Horsnell said.

"They represent a final fading of any residual realistic hope that the outage of Libyan oil could prove to be anything other than prolonged."
Answer questions 1 and 2 in English ONLY. Answers in Portuguese will NOT be accepted for these items.
01 What can be said about the last sentence of the text "They represent a final fading of any residual realistic hope that the outage of Libyan oil could prove to be anything other than prolonged." ?